Facebook’s F8 starts Tuesday. What do you want to hear about?

The F8 conference has been a platform where Facebook showed the world its ambitions. From blanketing the world with internet connectivity to showcasing its most advanced research — such as technologies that allow your brain to type or your skin to hear — Facebook proves that it is not afraid to dream big. Leading up to this year’s F8, the company’s vice president of consumer hardware, Andrew Bosworth, said “we’ll share the biggest AR/VR news from Facebook to date” in a tweet.

Facebook’s big ambitions may be more muted this year given that the company had to answer hard questions about privacy when it found itself embroiled in the Cambridge Analytica breach. One of its biggest dreamers, Regina Dugan, has even left her post as head of the company’s experimental research group.

At F8 this year, Facebook must show that it can balance consumer interests and developer needs, which can often conflict. In one example, a startup called Pod, which creates an iOS calendar app that integrates with Facebook events, found its access to the social network’s data was revoked without warning. Pod only learned that its app did not work after users complained. “We were really proud of our first-class Facebook events integration, but we’ll think twice about investing time into Facebook’s platform in the future,” developer Justin Krause told The Verge of his experience.

.@Facebook is back in the spotlight with its #F8 conference, kicking off tomorrow. What are you most excited to see?

(Please RT for a greater sample size.)

— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) April 30, 2018

But F8 won’t be just about Zuckerberg’s apology tour — Facebook already announced its plans to limit information sharing. By focusing on augmented and virtual reality, Oculus could represent a way for Facebook to escape, if only in fantasy, its current reality, filled is with serious privacy concerns. There are more than a dozen talks planned for virtual and augmented reality.

Last year, Facebook announced a $199 stand-alone Oculus Go, but the headset didn’t get a ship date. Potentially, we could learn of when Oculus Go will be available to purchase along with Facebook’s plans for the augmented reality space. 

On the consumer side, Facebook could unveil further changes to its newsfeed, designed to surface meaningful content. If Facebook is successful in its vision, it could go some way toward regaining consumer trust, boosting advertising revenues, and stopping fake news in one big push. The company has several sessions planned around the news feed on the first day of F8.

And even though Facebook may have shelved plans for its M digital assistant in Messenger, the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot could be used to draw businesses in. Rival Apple is leveraging iMessage to allow consumers to interact with businesses, and Facebook could be readying an offensive to bring businesses back to the platform. This could help Facebook thwart the boycott it faces from businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX. 

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China’s new sci-fi amusement park is powered entirely by virtual reality rides

A new amusement park opened in China where all the experiences utilize virtual reality technology. You won’t find traditional roller coasters at the Oriental Science Fiction Valley theme park, which counts 35 virtual reality rides ranging from spaceship tours to virtual roller coasters and shooter games. The park, located in Guizhou province in the southwestern region of China, spans 330 acres, and houses science fiction inspired castles and giant robots in a futuristic design.

The cost to develop the Oriental Science Fiction Valley park has been disputed, with Reuters reporting that development required as much as a $1.5 billion investment. However, the cost may be as low as $470 million, a figure reported by Road to VR citing information from VRODO.

“There’s fierce competition in the theme park market right now,” park CEO Chen Jianli said in an interview posted on YouTube. “We are trying to give customers a new experience by combining modern technologies such as VR and [augmented reality] with traditional recreational facilities. The sci-fi part of it is important for the feeling it creates.”

Theme park rides based on virtual reality experiences aren’t entirely new, but the Oriental Science Fiction Valley park is the first of its kind to utilize VR in all of its rides. In the U.S., Samsung and Six Flags partnered to create a number of VR-based rides based on the company’s Gear VR headset, while Legoland used VR headsets for one of its rides in its Florida amusement park.

Although the Oriental Science Fiction Valley is located in one of the poorest provinces in China, executives hope that the infusion of VR technology will create a tourism boom in the future and position the region as a tech hub. Apple, for its part, already operates a data center in the province.

It is estimated that China’s virtual reality entertainment business will grow tenfold, representing an $8.4 billion industry by 2020, according to China’s state-backed think tank CCID. The country is hoping to capitalize on rising trends in sports, gaming, and new technologies. Farmers in the surrounding area are concerned that the boom will bring added pollution but look forward to benefits that VR would contribute to the local economy.

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What is the Dark Web?

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With news reports of underground online marketplaces and journalists hiding from government oversight, have you ever wondered, ‘just what is the Dark Web?’ The term essentially refers to heavily-encrypted sites that cannot be accessed via the average browser. As such, these sites are often used as an international black market and as a source for hacked data.

They can have a number of other purposes as well, but, without the right software, you may never know they exist. Here’s everything you need to know about the gnarly, hidden parts of the internet.

What is the Dark Web, exactly?

The Dark Web is a term referring to websites and networks that are heavily encrypted and “hidden” from the average internet user. There are a lot of reasons people do this, but the Dark Web has earned a connotation as a sort of immense black market, one associated with drugs, guns, porn, hacking, and conspiracies.

That said, it’s also a haven for those who really, really like their privacy and aren’t fans of any kind of interference. It’s commonly used for those under strict governments that control free speech and employ heavy regulations.

So, is it separate from the normal internet?

More or less, yes. The data itself still uses the same channels, but the walls of encryption put a clear divide between “normal” internet content and the Dark Web. You cannot hop onto your favorite browser and visit a Dark site any time you want, for instance. Traditional search engines like Google also tend not to index or show any Dark Web content, for a variety of reasons.

Is the Dark Web illegal?

It’s generally not illegal to visit, but obviously it does matter what you do while you’re there. After all, people peddle a smorgasbord of illegal and inappropriate content on the Dark Web — child pornography, beheading footage, etc. — and some people go there to seek that stuff out. Such being the case, you might want to avoid associating yourself with those kinds of people and places.

The most famous example of illegal Dark activity was Silk Road, which used a combination of Bitcoins and the Dark Web to exchange recreational drugs internationally. Law enforcement agencies took down the online marketplace in 2013 and arrested its alleged founder — and again, in 2014 — but similar cartels still operate using the same methodology. Another example was the Ashley Madison hack, which saw a wave of names and information flood the Dark Web, blackmailing and exposing those who used the cheating service — ultimately ending in settlements for those affected. It was illegal in a different way, and harder to pin down.

However, with caution and common sense, you can navigate the Dark Web without landing in any legal trouble. But don’t expect the “I didn’t know I was buying illegal drugs” line to work.

How is the Dark Web different from the Deep Web?

While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there’s an important difference: The Deep Web refers to all parts of the web that are hidden away from the average user and not indexed by the average search engine. This includes an immense amount of data, internal copies of various webpages and anything that you need an access code to reach.

So, pretty much every site online has some content that’s in the Deep Web, out of necessity. The Dark Web is only a small part of the Deep Web, with a more focused purpose.

Has it always existed?

Shady internet activities have existed since the public really started using the internet in the mid 90s. But the Dark Web represents the start of a very large, more cohesive use of the internet for these kinds of activities. The term itself gained popularity in the late 2000s and became widely known a few years ago, thanks to government crackdowns on various Dark Web operations.

It’s also been associated with the complicated rise of Bitcoin, as the blockchain-protected cryptocurrency provided an ideal means of exchange for the illicit activities of the Dark Web.

What are the dangers of going onto the Dark Web?

All the common dangers of a traditional black market exist on the Dark Web. To reiterate, you can buy or sell a whole lot of illegal things and get in a lot of legal trouble if law enforcement agencies manage to track you down (which, as noted above, can indeed happen).

However, there are also some unofficial dangers to be a wary of. Many of those who operate in the Dark Web have no problem exploiting you in any way they can — and since many of them are hackers or at least know how to use hacking tools, they can be dangerous.

As a result, there are many tales of blackmail peppering the Dark Web, from people who are somehow identified there, or tricked into giving their information. Downloads also tend to be even more suspect in the dark corners of the internet, so your computer may be in danger as well.

If I want to visit some parts of the Dark Web, where do I begin?

Read up on the Dark Web, and see what you’re in for. Visiting a subreddits like r/deepweb is a good idea, too, as it will allow you to see what people are looking for and what common topics arise in an environment that’s a bit more protected than the actual Dark Web.

To actually get on to the Dark Web though, you’re going to need specialized software and to follow some basic, but important safety and security steps. Read our full guide on how to access the Dark Web to get the full low down on exploring this hidden part of the web.

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Failure rate of MacBook Pro ‘butterfly’ keyboards double that of older models

Although it’s been widely reported on various forums and on Apple’s support site that the new MacBook Pro keyboards with the butterfly key-switch can fail if there’s dirt or debris lodged under the keys, we now have  statistics on how often the keyboard fails. Apple switched to the new butterfly key-switch with the slim keyboard on the MacBook, and the MacBook Pro followed suit in 2016. According to data collected by Apple Insider from Apple Genius Bar repairs and Apple-authorized third-party repair shops, we now know that the keyboard failure rate on MacBook Pro models with the butterfly switch keyboard is double that of older MacBook Pro models with standard keyboards.

The 2014 MacBook Pro model saw 2,120 service events that were reported on, according to Apple Insider , with 118 keyboard-related problems. Similarly, in 2015, there were 1,904 service events implicating 114 keyboard-related issues. When Apple switched to the butterfly keyboard in 2016, there were 1,402 warranty events with 165 issues related to the keyboard, excluding any problems with the Touch Bar. This means 5.6 percent of warranty issues in 2014 and 6.0 percent in 2015 were caused by keyboard problems, a number that jumped to 11.8 percent in 2016. The 2017 numbers aren’t complete yet, but the first half of the year saw 1,161 service events with 94 keyboard-related issues.

On its own, a twofold increase in keyboard-related issues may be cause enough for concern, but the increase in the recidivism rate shows that the design may play a large part in why the new keyboards are failing. Of the 118 keyboard repairs on the 2014 model, eight were brought back for secondary service within 90 days. On the 2015 model, six returned for secondary repair. A third repair was not necessary for both model years.

After the redesign in 2016, 51 secondary repair jobs were required, of which ten needed a third repair in the 90-day period. The 2017 model saw 17 secondary repairs and three requiring a third repair.

And because of how the keyboard mechanism is designed on the 2016 and 2017 models, repairs are costly. If the keys are damaged in any way, the whole assembly needs to be replaced, including the keyboard, battery, upper casing, and the Thunderbolt 3 ports, Apple Insider noted. If you’re out of warranty, a simple keyboard repair job could cost more than $700. Apple-authorized repairs for the 2014 and 2015 models cost $400.

“We don’t know for sure how many GPU failures in the 2011 through 2013 MacBook Pro line caused Apple to act, nor do we know what triggered the display coating repair extension program,” Apple Insider said. “But, the near-doubled failure rate of the keyboard in the first year on the 2016 MacBook Pro is a ticking time bomb for users, and it doesn’t matter why.”

Given that the new butterfly switch keyboards are more prone to failure and costly to repair, it may be wise to consider alternatives to the MacBook and MacBook Pro if you’re shopping for a laptop.

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Opera discontinues its mobile VPN app

Opera’s free mobile VPN app wasn’t long for this world, unfortunately. The browser maker has discontinued both its Android and iOS VPN clients after SurfEasy, the developer Opera had acquired in 2015, parted ways with the company. We’ve asked about the fate of desktop support, but it’s safe to say this reduces your choices when you’re accessing content from other countries or adding a degree of secrecy to your surfing. You’re not out of luck if you want to use Opera VPN’s underlying technology, though.

If you’re an Opera Gold user, you’ll have the option of a free one-year subscription to SurfEasy’s Ultra VPN service. Everyone else, meanwhile, can use the Opera VPN app to subscribe to SurfEasy Total for 99 cents per month instead of the usual $5. That’s less than ideal if you’re used to paying zero, but look at it this way: if you still need a VPN client, you’ll have an affordable service while you’re considering your options.

Via: Android Police

Source: Opera

Gruber: Apple’s Cross-Platform App Support to Debut in 2019, Not 2018

Rumored cross-platform functionality that will allow Macs to run iPhone and iPad apps is planned for macOS 10.15 and iOS 13 rather than macOS 10.14 and iOS 12, according to well-known Apple journalist John Gruber.

Gruber shared the tidbit in a blog post covering “scuttlebutt” he’s heard about the cross-platform UI project, which he says is indeed in the works at Apple.

News of support for universal apps able to run on iPhone, iPad, and Mac was first shared by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in December. At the time, Gurman said Apple would introduce the functionality in iOS 12 and macOS 10.14, with an announcement likely to happen at the Worldwide Developer’s Conference in June.

Gurman and Axios’ Ina Fried later confirmed in January that the combined app framework was on the table for 2018 despite other planned iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 features being pushed back, but Gruber says he’s “nearly certain” it’s a 2019 project for macOS 10.15 and iOS 13, which could also be part of an updated UI for iOS said to be coming next year. “I would set your expectations accordingly for this year’s WWDC,” he writes.

According to Gruber, from what he’s heard through first and second-hand sources, Apple appears to be working on declarative control APIs for iOS and macOS, which suggests Apple wants to make it easy for developers to create modern cross-platform user interfaces. Gruber’s info is not as definitive as outright support for cross-platform iOS and macOS apps as has been previously reported, but it is an indication that Apple is working towards that goal.

There’s nothing inherently cross-platform about a declarative control API. But it makes sense that if Apple believes that (a) iOS and MacOS should have declarative control APIs, and (b) they should address the problem of abstracting the API differences between UIKit (iOS) and AppKit (MacOS), that they would tackle them at the same time. Or perhaps the logic is simply that if they’re going to create a cross-platform UI framework, the basis for that framework should be a declarative user interface.

It’s not clear who is correct on the timing of the universal app project given the conflicting information, but we don’t have long to wait to find out. macOS 10.14 and iOS 12 will be introduced at the keynote event of the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to take place on June 4.

Gruber’s full writeup with additional details on the project can be found over at Daring Fireball.

Related Roundups: WWDC 2018, macOS 10.14, iOS 12Tags: daringfireball.net, John Gruber
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Twitter’s new shows include Formula 1 and SportsCenter Live

Twitter wasn’t kidding when it promised a flurry of video. The social network has announced more than 30 video deals, including a slew of live shows. To begin with, Twitter has landed a Formula 1 deal: The @f1 account will stream a live post-race show (sorry, no live races) with both key interviews and panel discussions with luminaries like Nico Rosberg. The first of ten shows will premiere after the Spanish Grand Prix on May 13th, and you’ll also find on-demand race highlight clips.

On top of this, Twitter has divulged details of two of ESPN’s sports shows. SportsCenter Live is a “Twitter take” on ESPN’s signature news show that will offer breaking news through Twitter’s Moments feature. Fantasy Focus Live, meanwhile, translates the channel’s fantasy sports podcast to a livestreamed morning series.

Other highlights? Twitter’s still-fresh MLB streaming deal is expanding to include a show discussing the All-Star Game and the playoffs, while the MLS pact now includes the Homegrown Game. Vice News is launching a live show, The New Space Race, that will cover the competition between private outfits like SpaceX and Blue Origin. There’s also a range of originals focusing on women’s experiences, with creators like the Huffington Post (Crash the Party), History and Vox Media (Divided States of Women). And did we mention shows from NBC Universal and Viacom?

Twitter is certainly no stranger to video from big names. The scale of the announcement is significant, though. The social site is now a large enough destination for video that it can launch programming slates with the sizes you’d expect with traditional TV. It’s still not at the point where it would replace TV, but the gap is narrower than it once was.

Source: Formula 1, PR Newswire

3Doodler’s latest kits help kids draw 3D shapes in the classroom

Since it crowdfunded on Kickstarter back in 2013, 3Doodler has come out with multiple versions of its 3D-printing pen — including a kids version and a pro version — as well as themed kits focusing on architecture, robotics and other STEM activities. Now, the company is launching kits designed specifically for classroom use.

Currently, there are two kits that come in two sizes each. The 3Doodler Start Learning Pack Kit is for kids aged six through 13 and comes with 3Doodler Start Pens, DoodlePads, DoodleBlocks, plastic strands and a slew of resources for teachers including lesson plans, activity guides and equipment manuals. The 3Doodler Create+ Learning Pack Kit is geared towards students upwards of 14 years old and includes 3Doodler Create+ Pens instead of Start Pens. It comes with a similar set of teacher resources and pen supplies. Both kits are available for class sizes of 12 or 24 students and can be purchased through 3Doodler’s EDU site. Prices range from $349 to $1,199 and the kits will also be available through Amazon and Best Buy.

For educators that want to get a look at what these kits offer before committing to a full purchase, 3Doodler is also selling Teacher Experience Kits for each pack, which come with a pen, plastic strands, abbreviated lesson plans and classroom materials. They can be purchased through 3Doodler’s EDU site as well and will cost $29 or $59 depending on the kit.

3Doodler says its products have been used in more than 5,000 classrooms over the past five years. “These products represent 3Doodler’s continued commitment to inspire students pursuing STEM interests and passions,” Leah Wyman, 3Doodler’s head of EDU, said in a statement. “We pride ourselves on creating accessible 3D products and making it fun to learn in the classroom.”

Source: 3Doodler

Iranian Telecoms Ordered to Shut Down Access to Messaging App Telegram

A Tehran-based court today ordered Iranian telecommunications providers to block popular messaging app Telegram, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Iran has been concerned about Telegram’s role in recent protests and unrest in the country, which has led to the ban.

The order said Telegram gave Islamic State “safe ground” in an attack in Tehran last year and also blamed its role in protests in December and January, the biggest in Iran in almost a decade. It ordered telecommunications providers to block the service.

As of now, the Telegram app continues to be available for use without the need for a VPN or another method of circumventing the ban, and it is not clear if and when it will be rendered unavailable in the country.

According to The Wall Street Journal, approximately 40 million Iranians use Telegram, accounting for one-fifth of Telegram’s user base. Telegram is popular in the country as it offers end-to-end encrypted communication that’s inaccessible to the government.

Iran’s move to ban Telegram comes just a few weeks after a Russian court ordered Russian telecommunications providers to block Telegram in Russia after Telegram refused to comply with government demands for access to users’ messages.

Due to U.S. sanctions, Apple does not sell its products in Iran nor is there an Iranian App Store, but there are millions of iPhones in the country that have been smuggled from places like Dubai and Hong Kong.

Apple in March blocked access to the App Store in Iran, preventing Iranians from accessing apps by setting their devices to other regions.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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A new MacBook Air likely won’t be revealed until later in 2018

Although Apple still could still reveal a new MacBook Air during the company’s developers conference in June, component suppliers claim Apple won’t go into production on the new model until the second half of 2018. The thin-and-light notebook was originally slated to enter manufacturing in the second quarter, but now component suppliers claim Apple won’t even accept shipments of the necessary hardware until the third quarter. 

The problem is twofold. Not only will customers not see a new MacBook Air until the back half of 2018, but components suppliers already have the necessary parts poised and ready for Apple’s picking. Thus, these companies have a high material inventory and really have no room for additional components until the MacBook Air goes into production. 

According to supply chain sources, Apple provided no reason for the MacBook Air delay. But there’s speculation that the company faced a problem with a “key component,” such as the processor, that forced Apple to adjust the new design. Given the new MacBook Air production is now aligned with the next iPhone, we wouldn’t be surprised if the new MacBook Air will have a configuration with built-in LTE connectivity to combat the new “always connected” Windows 10 PCs. 

The new MacBook Air models are expected to feature Intel’s latest eighth-generation processors. These will likely be the “U” chips given that they’re designed for low power consumption in ultra-thin laptops. The current MacBook Air models on the market, launched in June 2017, rely on older fifth-generation Core i5-5350U and Core i7-5650U processors, so the MacBook Air needs a serious processor upgrade at the very least. 

Rumors claim that the next MacBook Air will have a starting price of $899, or perhaps even $799, which is a nice little drop from the current $999 starting point. Apple reportedly wants to get more MacBook Airs in the hands of mainstream customers who are looking for a thin and light premium solution but don’t want to pay premium prices. The current $999 starting point gives you the Core i5 processor, a 1,440 x 900 resolution, 128GB of storage, and 8GB of system memory. 

With production of the MacBook Air moved back to the third quarter, Apple likely won’t introduce the device in June, but rather toward the end of the year when it unveils the next iPhone. As previously stated, Apple’s smartphone will go into production in the third quarter as well, according to industry sources, which will have Chinese manufacturers competing with each other as they scramble to beef up their workforce to handle both products. 

As for what will be revealed at Apple’s developers conference in June, the company is expected to introduce the new MacBook Pro, which will serve as the hardware launch platform for MacOS 10.14. The company is also expected to showcase iOS 12 for the iPhone and the latest iPad launching at the conference. Apple’s tvOS 12 and improvements to the CarPlay platform are also expected, although the next HomePod release likely won’t be revealed until the MacBook Air and iPhone event later this year. 

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